Lepokole Hills
The Lepokole Hills rise near Bobonong in eastern Botswana, built from colossal granite blocks piled one on another, and they are the southernmost extension of Zimbabwe’s Matobo Hills. They hold San rock paintings, Stone Age tools, Iron Age settlement remains and stone walls in the Great Zimbabwe style, and they are where the last San communities of eastern Botswana took refuge from encroaching settlement. Very few visitors ever go.
Where the Lepokole Hills Are
These hills sit in a part of Botswana that safari itineraries almost entirely skip.
They lie north or northeast of the village of Bobonong in the Bobirwa sub-district of the Central District, with sources giving the distance variously as around 15 kilometres north or roughly 25 kilometres northeast. Bobonong itself sits about 80 kilometres from Selebi-Phikwe.
Access runs from Francistown via Selebi-Phikwe, or from Gaborone via Palapye.
Geologically the hills are the southernmost extension of the Matobo Hills across the border in Zimbabwe, and they share that country’s character entirely: immense granite blocks stacked and balanced on one another, with trees and vegetation finding purchase in the gaps.
The Babirwa people live in this area, and Bobonong is the sub-district headquarters.
The Tuli Block, with the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, sits around an hour’s drive away, which is the nearest thing to a standard tourism destination.
These hills are where the last San of eastern Botswana retreated as settlement closed in around them, and some of the paintings in the rock overhangs record that retreat directly.
The Rock Art of Lepokole
The paintings are the reason the hills matter beyond their scenery.
San rock paintings occur in the rocky overhangs of the kopjes throughout the area. What makes them notable is their subject as much as their age. Some of the paintings tell the story of the San retreat from encroaching peoples into these hills, which is an unusual thing for rock art to record.
The hills served as a refuge, a hiding place from oncoming enemies during periods of conflict, and the art reflects that history rather than only depicting animals and hunting.
Botswana’s rock art is concentrated in the north, northwest and east of the country, and Lepokole is among the most important eastern sites.
Tsodilo in the far northwest holds a far greater density, with over 4,500 paintings in ten square kilometres, but Lepokole carries a different and more specific historical weight.
Archaeology Beyond the Paintings
The wider archaeological record here is what makes the hills genuinely interesting to anybody with an interest in the deeper past.
Stone Age tools have been found across the area, alongside ancient pottery.
Walled ruins in the style of the Great Zimbabwe era can be seen, which places them within the same broad tradition as the stone architecture found across the region to the east.
Remains of ancient village settlements and Iron Age sites occur throughout, with evidence including stone arrangements, granaries, pottery and Iron Age tools.
Taken together the hills hold a layered record running from the Stone Age through Iron Age settlement to the recent San presence, which is a considerable span for a site this little visited.
Much of it has not been systematically excavated or interpreted for visitors.
Hiking and Scenery
Beyond the archaeology, the hills are simply a good place to walk in a country with very few of them.
The granite blocks piled on one another produce constantly changing arrangements of rock, tree, vegetation and sky, and the scenery is the main draw for many visitors alongside the art.
Hiking and climbing are the principal activities, with views from the highest points across the eastern hardveld.
Botswana is overwhelmingly flat, so anywhere offering genuine elevation and rock scrambling is unusual. The Matobo-style terrain here is closer to Zimbabwe than to anything else in Botswana.
Birdwatching is good, and the broken terrain supports species that the surrounding flat country does not.
There is no formal trail network, so a guide makes a substantial difference both for finding the art and for working out a way through the rock.
What is here. San rock paintings in kopje overhangs, Stone Age tools, ancient pottery, Great Zimbabwe-style walled ruins, Iron Age settlement remains, granaries and stone arrangements.
What to do. Hiking and climbing across granite terrain, visiting rock art sites, birdwatching and taking in views from the high points across eastern Botswana.
What to expect. Very few other visitors, little formal infrastructure, no marked trails, and a need to arrange permission and guiding locally rather than turning up.
Permission and Community Tourism
How you arrange a visit matters here, and it has been changing.
Historically, visitors to the hills had to be completely self-sufficient and were required to ask permission from the Lepokole headman before going. That arrangement reflects the fact that this is community land with active local authority rather than a national park.
A community-based tourism project has been developed through a local conservation trust, with the aim of turning the area into a managed destination. Plans have included fencing the area around the hills, restocking it with indigenous wildlife, offering nature walks and wildlife viewing alongside guided hikes, and building camping facilities.
Botswana Tourism has supported the communities in the Lepokole conservation area to promote local conservation, generate income for rural residents and diversify what the region offers visitors.
How far those plans have progressed is not clear from published sources, so check the current position locally before travelling rather than relying on descriptions of what was planned.
Whatever the state of development, going through the community rather than around it is the right way to do this.
Visiting Lepokole Hills
This is a trip for travellers with a specific interest rather than a general safari itinerary.
Accommodation in Bobonong includes campsites and lodges, and the village functions as the base for a visit.
Be prepared for genuine self-sufficiency. Facilities at the hills themselves are minimal or absent, so carry water, food and everything else you need.
A high-clearance vehicle is sensible for the tracks, and local guidance is worth arranging both for permission and for finding the sites.
The cooler months from April to September suit hiking far better than the summer, when eastern Botswana becomes very hot.
One incidental detail worth knowing: Botswana pink, a semi-precious stone, is found around Bobonong. It appears on Botswana’s list of stones prohibited from import, so buying rough stone locally and carrying it out of the country needs care.
Pair Lepokole with the Tuli Block rather than treating it as a standalone trip. The Northern Tuli Game Reserve sits around an hour away, is malaria free, and delivers elephant and leopard across sandstone country, which makes the eastern circuit worth the drive in a way neither site quite manages alone.
Eastern Botswana as a Destination
Lepokole belongs to a part of the country that almost no safari itinerary reaches, and that is worth setting out.
Eastern Botswana is the hardveld: rockier, hillier and more settled than the Kalahari, running along the border with Zimbabwe and South Africa. It holds most of the country’s population and most of its history.
The Tuli Block is its best-known wildlife area, a strip of private reserves along the Limpopo with elephant, leopard and sandstone terrain unlike anywhere else in Botswana.
Historic sites cluster here too, including Old Palapye, the Matsieng footprints and Domboshaba ruins.
For travellers combining Botswana with Zimbabwe or South Africa overland, this is the corner they pass through, and it rewards stopping rather than driving on.
For a first Botswana safari focused on the Okavango and Chobe, it will not fit, and there is no point pretending otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Lepokole Hills
Where are the Lepokole Hills?
Near the village of Bobonong in the Bobirwa sub-district of eastern Botswana’s Central District, with sources giving the distance as around 15 kilometres north or roughly 25 kilometres northeast. Bobonong lies about 80 kilometres from Selebi-Phikwe and can be reached from Francistown via Selebi-Phikwe or from Gaborone via Palapye. The Tuli Block sits around an hour’s drive away.
What is there to see at Lepokole Hills?
San rock paintings in the overhangs of the kopjes, some of which record the San retreat into these hills from encroaching settlement. Beyond the art there are Stone Age tools, ancient pottery, walled ruins in the Great Zimbabwe style, and remains of ancient village settlements and Iron Age sites including stone arrangements, granaries and Iron Age tools. The granite scenery and hiking are draws in their own right.
Do you need permission to visit the Lepokole Hills?
Historically yes, with visitors required to ask the Lepokole headman before going and to be completely self-sufficient, since this is community land rather than a national park. A community-based tourism project has been developed through a local conservation trust with plans for guided hikes and camping facilities. How far those plans have progressed is unclear from published sources, so check the current position locally before travelling.
Are the Lepokole Hills related to the Matobo Hills?
Yes, geologically they are the southernmost extension of Zimbabwe’s Matobo Hills and share the same character entirely: colossal granite blocks piled and balanced on one another with vegetation finding purchase in the gaps. That terrain is unusual in Botswana, which is overwhelmingly flat, and the hills feel closer to Zimbabwe than to anything else in the country.
How do the Lepokole paintings compare with Tsodilo?
Tsodilo in the far northwest holds a far greater concentration, with over 4,500 paintings recorded in around ten square kilometres, and carries UNESCO World Heritage status. Lepokole is smaller and much less studied, but carries a specific historical weight, since some of its paintings record the San retreat into the hills from encroaching peoples rather than depicting only animals and hunting scenes. Botswana’s rock art is concentrated in the north, northwest and east.
Is it worth visiting Lepokole Hills?
For travellers with an interest in archaeology, rock art or San history, and for anyone who wants to walk in genuine hills in a very flat country, yes. It suits an eastern Botswana circuit combined with the Tuli Block rather than a standalone trip. For a first safari focused on the Okavango and Chobe it does not fit, being on the opposite side of the country from everything else on that itinerary.
Booking Your Botswana Trip
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When you are ready, arrange your safari, tour or holiday with one of the recognised operators listed here. Tell them your dates and what matters most, and a real person, not a form, will handle the itinerary, park bookings and logistics for you.